CARBS

I've been reading many posts and have to say there are some awesome posts out today! 

I'm SUPER worried about eating too manyCarbs! The plan from my doc is 100/100. 100g protein and 100g carbs. They don't want you to use any shakes or protein bars or any of that stuff. I was struggling to get protein in. I broke down and got some. I feel soo much better!! Tons of energy!! I'm 9 wks out. Which is crazy to think I'm that far out already! I will have my 3 month visit soon and I will definitely discuss this with the dietician. 

I guess I don't feel like I'm losing it quick enough. I had the famous 3 wks stall and another one that lasted 2 and a half wks!! I'm not eating many carbs as I still struggle to get all my protein in. I totally understand the everyone is different. I just  feel super confused. Why is my plan not low carb? They do stress to get most of your carbs from vegetables.

Any advice, support, or suggestions would be great! 

Thanks Dee

There seem to be as many post-surgery plans out there are there are surgeons sometimes. Every doctor has a different plan. I can't tell you your doctor's plan is "wrong", but I can tell you how it differs from mine and how it is the same: My doctor also doesn't want his patients using shakes or bars to supplement. He wants everyone to get all the nutrition they need from their food. While I can get a good amount of it from food, I like being able to boost my protein with a shake now and then, especially when I'm having days when my food doesn't appeal.

My plan also doesn't give me specific calorie or carb goals, just a protein goal. They also say to get carbs from vegetables, which I agree with and think is a good thing. However after doing a good bit of research I've decided that going low carb is the best way to go for me. I do my best to keep my carbs under 30 per day. If I go over (like on a day when I have a meal with beans, good sources of protein, fiber and carbs) I don't sweat it, but just make sure that I'm under the next day. It happens pretty naturally by avoiding sugar and white carbs for the most part, and limiting grains severely. I just don't think there's room in the pouch to get many carbs in from vegetables if we remain focused on getting protein first, number one. And secondly, low carb has shown its effectiveness, and has worked well for me in the past in the brief amounts of time I was able to stick with a diet. So far, for me, this has all worked well.

There are people on here who say not to worry about carbs if you keep protein the primary focus of your diet. There are others who feel that carb restriction is the way to go. You may get responses from both camps.

You say you don't think you're losing quick enough, but you don't say how much you've lost so far. It may be helpful to take the total amount of weight you've lost so far and divide that by 9 to see your average weight loss per week. Pauses in losing happen, so don't fret about them. I know that's easier said than done, but it's the truth!

By all means talk to your dietician about all of this. But ultimately it's your body. If you do your homework and feel a different approach to you meal plan would be better for you, then it's up to you whether or not you want to implement it. Just be aware of the possible consequences and don't alienate your medical team with radical diet plans.

Please see my profile page if interested.

100 g  carbs per day is low carb compared to the standard American diet!

 I never counted carbs at all just protein and fluids and didn't stall and hit goal in about a year.   Follow your surgeons plan and try not to focus on how it is different from others.  Every program is different  - be compliant to YOURS!

As with calories, not all carbs are created equal.  Consuming 10g of carbs from beans or yogurt (both of which also have protein) isn't the same as consuming 10g of carbs from white rice or bread.

Some surgeon's plans take that into consideration and emphasize making smart choices of what kinds of carbs, but others just set a low carb limit rather than trusting patients to make those good choices. 

I get a lot of my protein from dairy products which all have carbs, so I wouldn't be able to stick to a very low carb plan.  Besides, that would be too much like a "diet" to me.  Fortunately, my surgeon didn't have us count anything but protein as long as we were making good, balanced food choices.

Lora

Thank you for all of your Suggestions and support. I feel soo much better about things since reading your responses. I think I was having one of those fun rollercoaster days aka hormones. I'm all over the place these days. I cry more than anything. Then I get mad at myself for being a baby and then I cry again lol. My hormones are going crazy! Knowing it is temporary helps me keep my sanity! Lol! I'm riding it out though :)   

My plan isn't considered low carb either.  My nut told us that protein is for healing in the months right after surgery and that meals should be as balanced as possible.  We were not given calorie goals either.